NHL 2023-2024: Playoff Time. Hello Darkness.....

[pg1067]

A couple days late, but I have to pimp this ridiculous Quinton Byfield goal from Tuesday:

https://www.facebook.com/LAKings/posts/pfbid02eEiobwEzzpqRahaLENn8vqNQ2M6pricWkuyS3JWy2dxLzFuMsBECrg94J3ZoWURCl

[romdrums]

Wings pulled off a huge victory last night over the Avs. Holding the Avs to only one goal is pretty impressive. The Wings seem to play really well in front of Alex Lyon, and it's great to see him stabilize the goaltending situation there. I'm hoping this momentum continues and they get back into the postseason.

[Nick]

I'm two rows behind Binnington right now and it's been a fantastic first Wings game thus far.

[romdrums]

I'm two rows behind Binnington right now and it's been a fantastic first Wings game thus far.

Man, you got to witness a vintage Blues-Red Wings game today!  It’s gotta hurt just a little extra for Gary that Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat led the charge on that one!!

[gmillerdrake]

I'm two rows behind Binnington right now and it's been a fantastic first Wings game thus far.

Man, you got to witness a vintage Blues-Red Wings game today!  It’s gotta hurt just a little extra for Gary that Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat led the charge on that one!!

Doesn't hurt 'as' much anymore but there's still that tinge of "F those guys" that will never leave 

[romdrums]

DeBrincat and Kane did it again tonight to the Blackhawks. DeBrincat scores the tying goal late in the third, and Kane nets the OT game winner!

[billboy73]

What a crazy finish to the Blackhawks Red Wings game!  Also, the Chicago fans ovation for Kane before the game was amazing, and even after he scores that goal in OT for the Red Wings of all teams, they gave him another great ovation.  It was pretty classy all-around and a great moment in sports history.


I went to the Hurricanes Panthers game last Thursday, and it did not disappoint.  The 3rd period was awesome.  The game got pretty chippy, Florida had a goal called back after the review showed an offsides in the buildup, and Sebastian Aho scored with 20 sec left in the game to win it 1-0.  PNC Arena went nuts! 

[jingle.boy]

Watched Sens/Knights in Ottawa Saturday night (was picking up jingle.son from school to bring him home for reading week).  Sens looked awful the first period, but managed to hang around, then had a strong 3rd to tie it up.  OT was amazing, and then Stutzle winning it in the shootout.  Nice home-team win.

Drove home Sunday, then caught the Canes/Sabres in Buffalo.  Similar story.  Refs called 2 really soft penalties on Dahlin, the 2nd one leading to the 2-1 leading goal.  A couple shifts later, Owen Power played like he was not going to be denied, and sure enough, scored the equalizer.  UPL was a stone wall in the shootout, and the Sabres only needed 1 past Spencer Martin.

Two nice games in a row to be in attendance for.

[TAC]

What on earth is Reading Week?

[Nick]

Last year the Red Wings got blown out in back to backs with Ottawa that caused them to officially go into sell mode around this time. I feel like this weekends games pretty much made it so they are a playoff team this year.

[King Postwhore]

What on earth is Reading Week?

Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom.

[romdrums]

UPL was a stone wall in the shootout, and the Sabres only needed 1 past Spencer Martin.

Ukko-Pekka Luokkinen is such a fun name to say. When my son was younger, if he saw that name while I was playing one of the EA Sports NHL games, he would walk around saying "Ukko-Pekka Ukko-Pekka". Quite hilarious!

[jingle.boy]

What on earth is Reading Week?

A week in the middle of a semester that they get off - just like March Break for elementary/secondary schools.

[SchecterShredder]

What on earth is Reading Week?

The Canadian equivalent to the US college spring break. Supposed to be used to catch up on your assigned textbook readings,  prepare for midterms, etc.

As you can imagine, it's used for going away and getting blotto instead.

[Stadler]

What on earth is Reading Week?

The Canadian equivalent to the US college spring break. Supposed to be used to catch up on your assigned textbook readings,  prepare for midterms, etc.

As you can imagine, it's used for going away and getting blotto instead.

HAHA, I was thinking about your last line, but you beat me to the punch:

"Americans:  Week off from school in the spring:  GET WASTED IN FLORIDA."
"Canadians: Week off from school in the spring: Catch up on your assigned textbook readings."

[TAC]

What on earth is Reading Week?

The Canadian equivalent to the US college spring break. Supposed to be used to catch up on your assigned textbook readings,  prepare for midterms, etc.

As you can imagine, it's used for going away and getting blotto instead.

 

I figured it was. I've never heard of that term before.

[SchecterShredder]

I can honestly say i never went away for Reading Week. Mind you,  I also never used that time for studying either.

[jingle.boy]

I can honestly say i never went away for Reading Week. Mind you,  I also never used that time for studying either.

Ditto. Jingle.son was pretty sick last week, so fell behind on his projects that are due next week. He’ll be doing a lot of schoolwork while home this week. 

[Anguyen92]

Kings somehow find themselves back into 3rd in the Pacific. I’m mixed between this team doing nothing and them getting a winger.  Bringing back Tyler Toffoli is an option, but it would be expensive to make it work and probably not worth it.

[jingle.boy]

Bad week for the flu bug to run thru the Leafs.  They looked completely life-less the last three games, and were lucky to get 2 points out of the Sabres game.  The Bs made them look like and ECHL team.  8-point swing, and the Bs got themselves back into contention with Florida for 1st.  Leafs are all but guaranteed 3rd in the Atlantic, and neither option of Boston or Florida having home-ice advantage gives me any hope for this year's playoffs.

[TAC]

Looked like the Leafs’ primary goal last night was to try and rough up the Bruins. They seemed to be taking a lot of liberties.

And Woll cannot let Frederic score 5- hole on that breakaway.

[jingle.boy]

Looked like the Leafs’ primary goal last night was to try and rough up the Bruins. They seemed to be taking a lot of liberties.

And Woll cannot let Frederic score 5- hole on that breakaway.

Yeah, that was soft; as was the 4th goal.  Woll is definitely playing himself into the backup position.

What the hell was McCabe thinking on those first two cross-checks.  Completely senseless... and it didn't help that the refs got the call wrong to give them a 5-on-3 for 2 full minutes.

[TAC]

Looked like the Leafs’ primary goal last night was to try and rough up the Bruins. They seemed to be taking a lot of liberties.

And Woll cannot let Frederic score 5- hole on that breakaway.

Yeah, that was soft; as was the 4th goal.  Woll is definitely playing himself into the backup position.

What the hell was McCabe thinking on those first two cross-checks.  Completely senseless... and it didn't help that the refs got the call wrong to give them a 5-on-3 for 2 full minutes.

I thought they had one thing to achieve and that was to try and intimidate the Bruins.

Poor Ryan Reaves. He looked like he showed up at a gay bar looking to dance with a woman.

[billboy73]

Hurricanes made the move for Guentzel and are going in on making a deep run this year.  I'm glad they made the move to get another winger who can score some goals.  We'll see what else happens before the deadline today.

[pg1067]

Kings somehow find themselves back into 3rd in the Pacific. I’m mixed between this team doing nothing and them getting a winger.  Bringing back Tyler Toffoli is an option, but it would be expensive to make it work and probably not worth it.

I'm struggling with what we have to trade.  The only guy on the roster I'd really be willing to see go is Dubois, but I'm sure he has very little value on the market.  I don't know exactly where we are with draft picks, but I'd rather not fall back on the '90s and early '00s MO of trading away draft picks for aging veterans.

Kevin Fiala's OT winner last night was a thing of beauty, by the way.

[jingle.boy]

Maroon to the Bruins
Canes are looking at Kuznetsov
Tofolli to the Jets
Okposo to the Panthers

Less than 3 hours to go

[Anguyen92]

I’m all right with the Kings not doing anything.  The only thing that’s on the table is a first round pick and they can’t get Toffoli for that, might as well not trade it.

[King Postwhore]

Remember when Jack Edwards suggested Maroon was overweight?  Can't wait for the first interview!   

[Stadler]

Loving - well, for them, hating it for me - that pickup by the Knights.

[Anguyen92]

And at the buzzer beater.  Bob McKenzie reported that Hertl is going to the Golden Knights.  What’s the Sharks doing helping Vegas?

[jingle.boy]

I'll laugh my ass off if the Knights don't make it to the playoffs.  I mean, Hertl is on LTIR until the playoffs, so he's only valuable this year if they actually make it there.  And how helpful is he going to be having never played a game with the team?  Also, how does Vegas afford him going forward?  Also, why the hell would SJ retain salary - for 6 MORE YEARS!.  Teams can only retain salary for 3 contracts at a time, so they've boxed themselves into only doing that for 2 more contracts at a time.

[TAC]

Maroon to the Bruins

Hmm... He is exactly what they need, but he is literally my least favorite player in the NHL.

Oh, and he just had back surgery and is at least a month away.

[Anguyen92]

So I ended up buying that ticket for Pens/Oilers.  It’s a rare treat to watch Crosby and McDavid.  This may end up being almost close to one of the last times that both are in the same game.

[Stadler]

Maroon to the Bruins

Hmm... He is exactly what they need, but he is literally my least favorite player in the NHL.

Oh, and he just had back surgery and is at least a month away.

Rumor is Ullmark nixed a deal and speculation it was to the Kings. I'm glad; I would have moved Ullmark if the deal was right, but it had to be an unequivocal top six center.

[pg1067]

Maroon to the Bruins

Hmm... He is exactly what they need, but he is literally my least favorite player in the NHL.

Oh, and he just had back surgery and is at least a month away.

Rumor is Ullmark nixed a deal and speculation it was to the Kings. I'm glad; I would have moved Ullmark if the deal was right, but it had to be an unequivocal top six center.

I'm not sure who he is, but I'd definitely have given up our #6 center for Ullmark!